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Hematology, Serum Biochemistry and Serum Protein Electrophoresis Ranges for European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) in Northern Portugal

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Resumo:The European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) is an insectivorous mammal with a wide geographic distribution. Due mostly to climate changes and anthropogenic pressures, a considerable number of hedgehogs lives now in urban areas close to humans where they are exposed to contaminants and biological agents that may result in disease with the correspondent hematological and biochemical alterations. Hedgehogs can work as bioindicators of environmental pollution and be hosts for multiple zoonotic agents making it relevant in terms of One Health studies. It’s essential to deepen the knowledge of this species calculating the reference intervals (RI) for the usual hematological and biochemical determinations. That way it would be possible recognize the “normal” and identify the “disease”. The main objective of this work was to conduct a study of hematology, biochemistry and protein electrophoresis in the species Erinaceus europaeus in order to calculate reference intervals. For this study, the registry of the Clinical Pathology Laboratory (LPC) of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (HVUTAD) between March 2017 and August 2022 was analyzed. Data of hematology, clinical biochemistry, and protein electrophoresis from 37 healthy hedgehogs of HVUTAD Rehabilitation Center (CRAS-HVUTAD) was included (13 males, 22 females, 2 of unknown sex; 20 juveniles, 14 adults, 3 of unknown age). Reference Value Advisor V2.1 was used for RI calculation. It was possible to calculate RI for almost all the variables in study. Also, the sex and age effect were investigated, and statistically significant differences were obtained between the respective groups in the following parameters: Alkaline Phosphatase (p = 0.012, higher in males); Total Proteins (p = 0.034, higher in adults); Mean Cell Volume (p = 0.007) and Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (p = 0.010) (both higher in juveniles) and Red Blood Cell Distribution Width (p = 0.021, higher in adults). In this study, some significant differences were evident, especially when comparing age groups (juveniles versus adults), showing the relevance of further studies in this species. It allowed, for the first time, to define RI for a population of hedgehogs in Portugal, having a potentially relevant impact on species conservation and in the human-animal health interface.
Autores principais:Rosa, Sofia Alexandra Silva
Assunto:European hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus
Ano:2023
País:Portugal
Tipo de documento:dissertação de mestrado
Tipo de acesso:acesso restrito
Instituição associada:Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro
Idioma:inglês
Origem:Repositório da UTAD

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